Rest and Recovery "What is this?"

Rest and Recovery.

Did you know that when you work out you are actually tearing and
breaking the muscles apart?  It is through this process that the
body gets stronger, but the process doesn't start when you are
working out.  It is the time spent when you are resting (especially
sleeping) that your body gets a chance to rebuild to a better,
stronger you.

If you are constantly tearing the body down without giving it rest,

it will not get stronger and will lead to overuse injuries.  Your

body needs about 48 hours to recover from a weight training

session.  Listen to your body and do what you feel is best.  Some

people can do workouts 5 days a week, while others do best with

2-3.

Sleep is a topic that gets thrown around a lot and for a good
reason.  Many studies suggest that people who get less sleep have
higher levels of hormones, such as cortisol.  Elevated levels of
cortisol (also called the stress hormone) have been linked to
increase likelihood of being overweight.  A proper night's sleep
can do wonders in many ways:

1. Elevates your mood
2. Can help you think clearer and make better exercise and
    nutrition choices
3. Decreases cortisol and can elevate hormones, such as testosterone
4. Provides your body more time to heal and rebuild

It seems like the average person needs about 8 hours of sleep a
night.  Some may only need 7 while others need more like 9.  I
challenge you to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night for 2 weeks
and see if you don't feel better.